Charter middle schools performed higher than traditional public middle schools.

Charter high schools performed higher than traditional high schools on the Academic Performance Index (API), which combines results from multiple subjects; however, math scores were lower in charter high schools.

Crane and fellow researchers analyzed statewide test data using a research method that made it possible to compare groups of schools that serve somewhat different students. Charter elementary, middle, and high schools are each compared to their noncharter counterparts. In addition, the report compares the performance of various subgroups of charter schools, including start-ups versus conversions, those that operate as more traditional classroom-based schools versus nonclassroom-based, and those that are operated by a school management organization versus charter schools that are not.